


The Pearl Ring

by Demona424



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: F/M, Father-Daughter Relationship, Gen, Tumblr: promptsinpanem
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-26
Updated: 2013-03-26
Packaged: 2017-12-06 14:44:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/736852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Demona424/pseuds/Demona424
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Peeta's daughter Violet is feeling lost and in need of advice, he shares the story of how he came home to Katniss.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Pearl Ring

**Author's Note:**

> This story was meant for Prompts in Panem Day 1 but unfortunately I am on the West Coast and they did not put a warning that it would close at Midnight East Coast time. That was a "Dang!" moment for sure.

**The Pearl Ring**

The warm sun was setting in the distance as he sat on the porch filled with golden light.  He loved this time of the year when the sunshine seemed to bring hope and happiness to everyone after a long hard winter.  And everyone had a lot more to look forward to nowadays. Life was never simple, but they were far from the debilitating suffering of the past.

He turned over the delicate gold ring in his fingers and it gleamed in the waning light. If there was any symbol of hope to him, this was it. Of course the ring itself was a strong  symbol of love and eternity, but it was the pearl attached that meant a life given to him that he believed he was never capable of having after being lifted away in that hovercraft so many years ago.

"Papa, what are you doing out here? Dinner's almost ready. You’re usually right in the middle of the cooking madness."  Peeta quickly hid the ring in his pocket as his daughter came out the back door before sitting besides him on the comfortable porch swing.  As usual, whenever she sat next to him, she lay her head on his shoulder and snuggled in.

“Oh, your Mom and Grandmother kicked me out after I finished the bread.  Something about me working too hard or some such nonsense.  Never argue with a determined woman is my motto so I skedaddled out and decided to ponder life’s mysteries while staring at the sunset. How’s my pretty little Violet doing?”

“Pretty damn nervous actually,” his daughter answered while wringing her hands in her lap. “I just don’t know what to expect. It’s been a couple of months since I’ve left school and have seen Leif, and well...umm, it’s been hard.”

Peeta moved his arm so it encircled her shoulder and pulled her in tighter. He knew that his daughter was in many ways like his quiet reserved wife, always reluctant to put all of her feelings on display. But having lived with them for so many years, he also knew the tricks of the trade to get them talking.

“Well, sweetie, I don’t claim to know much, but I do know a man’s brain so if you trust me, I can give you my opinion.”

“Of course I trust you! It’s just that, well...” she paused and stared off into the distance trying to grasp at words that kept flying away. “It’s just that I love him so much and I don’t know if he loves me the same way.  When I came back to help grandma at the hospital, I hoped he would follow me, and I tried telling him that, and I thought he wanted that too, but there’s always another reason he has to stay at the Capitol. I just don’t know if I’m enough to get him to move out here. I wish I knew what he was thinking. You and mama are so close, it’s like you work in sync. I want that too.”

He tried to hold it in, he really did. He knew that she was opening up to him which can be hard for a girl to do with their dad after a certain age, but he couldn’t help it. First it started with a snort, then a chuckle, and soon he was out right laughing so hard, his stomach started to ache and tears streamed down his cheeks.  

“Papa! I’m being serious! This this the last time I tell you anything,” she huffed. She smacked him on the arm and moved to get up, but before she she lifted far off the seat, he grabbed her hand firmly and pulled her back down beside him.

"Now Violet, I wasn't really laughing at you." He ignored her "Hah!" and continued, "Okay maybe a little, but mostly because that was one of the stupidist things I ever heard you say.  I know you're brilliant, but you must not be very observant, especially considering you lived with us for 18 years.  The day that you're mom and I are in sync will be the day we're both in the ground. "

She turned and faced them, her eyebrows screwed up in confusion. "But you guys are so in love, how many years have you been together and yet she still looks at you like you hung the moon and stars just for her." She slumped back down in the chair and started swinging it back and forth. "I just want the same thing."

"Come here sweetheart." Peeta opened up his arms and she, she went right back in the warmth and comfort that they offered. "You can have the same thing. It takes a lot of hard work, negotiation, and most of all trust. Did I ever tell you about your Mom's ring?"  

"Her engagement ring with the pearl?" He just gave her a simple nod before she added, "I love that ring. I know most of pearl's history from grandma. The one time I asked Mama, she just smiled and said it was a piece of her heart. Sometimes when she's not paying attention, she rubs it against her lips unconsciously, it's kinda cute."

Peeta chuckled in assent, he loved when Katniss did that, it almost felt like his own lips were right there on hers. As the sun dipped below the trees, a cool breeze swept over them so he hugged her a little tighter to him.

"Well, what I never told you is that the pearl on that ring is what finally brought me home to District 12. Without it, I might have floated along through life alone and lost.  There is no way I can possibly convey to you what a dark place I was in during that time. I had given up on living again, I had planned on just staying at the Captiol and finding whatever work I could. To be honest, I had given up on your mom too. I barely understood my own self let alone where her head was. I thought any affection we'd shared was just a figment of my imagination, a ghost of something I wanted, certainly not real."

"I don't get it, what changed? What happened?" Violet asked.

"Well, to be honest, I forgot that pearl ever existed. Then one day, as I was getting back to my small apartment, there sitting on the hallway floor, blocking the door was Leif's dad.  He was the last person I ever expected to see. Before I saw him, I'd been living a half-life, I was dead inside, and seeing him there brought back everything into living color. I felt heat, fire, and anger. In that moment, I was strangely grateful. It was better to feel something than nothing at all. I invited him inside and we just talked. It was like we entered some bizzaro world where we could actually be friends.

"When he finished his second beer, he got up to leave. Just as I was about to close the door, he came back in and handed me the pearl. He told me that they had found it in the remains of your mom's clothes.  He then told me that it was time for me to go home, to her. That I just needed to love her, that we both deserved it. And then he just walked away.  As I held on to that pearl, I knew that it was real, that what we had was real, and I knew he was right, it was time to go home.  I held on to that pearl and kept it on me every day as a reminder that I made the right decision.  And eventually when it was the right time, I put it in a setting and gave it to your mother.  For the rest of my life I'll never forget the look on her face when she saw it again or the love that poured from her into the kiss she game me. And for the rest of my life, I'll owe him for sending me back home. Oh dear, I've probably told you too much."

Violet squeezed the hand over her shoulder a little tighter and gave her father a smile so bright it seemed to light up the dusky sky. "No, not at all. Thanks for telling me. I forget how much you've both been through, it makes my little problem seem pretty silly doesn't it." Her cheeks blushed bright in embarrassment, but he felt she had nothing to worry about and told her as much.

"Honey, never feel silly or embarrassed. You love with all your heart, and Leif is so lucky to have you, and I'm sure he realizes that.  Now why don't you go back inside and get your brother to help set up the table while I go across the street and get our dinner guests."  He gave her a soft peck on the cheek and she gave one in return.

"Love you dad. Thanks for listening."  In the dusk light her eyes were so dark blue, they looked the color of her name and he said a silent thanks for giving him so much even after so much had been taken away.  

After she went inside, he went around the house and across the street before knocking on the door.  A beautiful and softly plump woman, now in her 60's opened the door and beamed up at him then promptly gave him a strong hug.

"Good evening Hazelle, looking gorgeous as usual. Did they arrive on the train in time?"

"The train was a little late but they're all here.  Gale and Delly are upstairs getting the baby ready but Leif is in the living room. He told me he wanted to see you before we all went over." Hazelle answered.  He gives her a kiss before heading over to the man giving his poor daughter such a heart attack.

Peeta finds Leif on the couch rubbing his sweaty hands back and forth on his pants. He looks like he's about to puke or pass out, maybe both.  It always amazes him how much he resembles his dad, well except for the bright blue eyes that belong to Delly.

"You know, you might have gone a little overboard throwing her off the scent, my poor daughter is in total distress over there. She thinks you want to break up with her."

"Sorry sir," Leif answers back, "That was never my intention, I was just afraid that I would spill everything and I guess I got nervous, and I really didn't handle things to well, did I. Plus, it was damn hard arranging things so I could finally transfer over here. She doesn't hate me does she?"

Peeta couldn't help but laugh at that, "Of course not. You hung the moon and the stars along with it.  I have something for you." He brought out the ring that meant so much to him and his wife, gave it one last caress before handing it over to the young man. "You take care of her, she's our heart."

"Always sir, she's my heart too, she's everything." And Peeta knew he believed him.  The open and honest look in his eyes told him all he needed to know.  It was a look of a man hopelessly in love, he was a goner, the poor sucker.  

Later that night as Leif slipped the pearl ring on his daughter's finger and declared his undying love, Peeta pulled his wife closer, softly wiped the tears falling from her eyes, and gave her a gentle kiss.

"Katniss, thank you..." and he couldn't say more. She kissed him back and said in return, "No Peeta, thank you, for loving me." And as they leaned in and touched their foreheads together, they silently declared their devotion. Even though Katniss would never wear the pearl on her finger again, she didn't mind.


End file.
